


If You'd Ask Me To

by dazzler



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Blow Jobs, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, service sub estinien lolol, the big heavensward spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 16:15:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6016131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dazzler/pseuds/dazzler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Vault, Estinien takes care of Aymeric.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You'd Ask Me To

**Author's Note:**

> self-indulgent garbage i wrote to heal from the vault… im also working on a longer estinien/aymeric fic right now set pre-calamity. and there’s my toku exchange fic, which’ll be up before the end of the month!

Not long after the Scions departed, Estinien came striding purposefully into Aymeric’s office as though he owned it. The guard, who had long since stopped trying escort him in, shot Aymeric an apologetic look from the doorway. 

Aymeric set aside the historical documents he’d been poring over. 

“Estinien,” he greeted him. Estinien had changed out of his armor and into a loose cotton shirt and breeches, his hair swept back in a messy ponytail. Aymeric hadn’t seen him like that in a while-- he looked almost naked, somehow. 

“How long have you been in here?” Estinien asked. “You must rest. The city can’t run itself if you drop dead.”

“I am only reading, ‘tis hardly that strenuous--” Aymeric began to say, but Estinien interrupted him.

“I promised to protect Ishgard, remember? That includes you. Now get up.” 

Aymeric sighed, wincing a little as he got to his feet and his armor shifted against his wounds. 

“I’ll help you with a bath and change your bandages, and then you need to sleep for at least a few hours,” Estinien said in a tone that did not advise argument. “If I catch you trying to do any more work I’ll knock you out myself.” 

After Aymeric informed his guard where he was going, the two of them made their way to the officer’s bath house. It was a somewhat gloomy place consisting of a series of small stone chambers beneath their quarters, each with a shallow pool kept warm by fire magic. The underground location meant that there was very little light save for the torches and their reflection off the water. 

Estinien undressed him and peeled away his old bandages, helping him take a seat by the side of the water. Aymeric’s body was covered in lashes and ugly bruises and Estinien’s gaze darkened when he saw them, but he said nothing, which Aymeric was grateful for. 

“Ah.” He inhaled in sharply as the hot water enveloped his legs. 

Estinian pushed up his sleeves and dipped a cloth in the bath, wringing it out before running it over Aymeric’s back. 

“I daresay I am unused to this sort of pampering from you,” Aymeric said, letting his eyes fall shut. 

“Well, Lucia’s busy.”

“Do not jest, Estinien.” 

He fell silent, listening to Estinien’s steady breathing and the gentle lapping of water against the side of the pool. Estinien washed him with uncharacteristic gentleness, massaging the stiffness from his muscles while being careful not to disturb his injuries.

“I’ve been looking for more information regarding the founding of Ishgard,” Aymeric said at length. 

“Have you found anything useful?” 

“Naught but obfuscated truths. Missing manuscripts, gaps in our history where there shouldn’t be.” 

“With time, all will be brought to light,” Estinien said. His hands kneaded at Aymeric’s shoulders where they were sore from supporting his armor, and Aymeric let out a long sigh, sagging back against him. 

Up this close, the burns on Estinien’s arms were clearly visible. There seemed to be even more of them than the last time Aymeric saw him. 

“What?” Estinien seemed to catch the direction of his gaze. 

“Nothing,” said Aymeric quickly. 

By the time he was finished rinsing off, Aymeric felt as though his bones themselves had liquified. 

“By the Fury, you’re good at that,” he said, voice coming out slightly hoarse. 

Estinien looked amused. “I didn’t spend all that time in the Temple Knights with nothing to show for it, you know. Come, let us return to your chambers.” 

After helping Aymeric out and bundling him in a robe, Estinien half-carried him up the stairs to his room. He retrieved a roll of bandages and some salve from the cabinet while Aymeric sat on the edge of the bed, shrugging his robe off so that Estinien could attend to his wounds. Estinien began with covering the angry red lashes that striped Aymeric’s skin. 

“As we speak, the Scions are probably--” Aymeric flinched a little as Estinien smeared the cold paste over his chest. “--ah, on their way to the Sea of Clouds in pursuit of my father. Our warrior has no time to rest or mourn.”

“They weren’t imprisoned or tortured as you were.” 

“I didn’t know how I could face them afterward,” Aymeric said. “He was special to them.”

Estinien’s expression grew clouded. Somehow, Aymeric had forgotten how baldly his emotions showed on his face when he wasn’t wearing his helmet. “Damn the bloody Ward. I’ll kill the knaves myself for what they did.”

“We were both… we had a lot in common, Haurchefant and I,” Aymeric said. “Although his father acknowledged him openly. Mine tried to have me killed.” He let out a harsh bark of laughter, which set his ribs to throbbing. “Fury, but it should’ve been me. I should’ve been the one to go after him, but I hesitated, I…” 

Estinien said nothing, continuing to bandage his wounds with careful hands. Aymeric swallowed around a lump in his throat, blinking hard. He felt exhausted, drained by the effort of holding himself together and keeping reminders of the gaol at bay. Bruises still circled dark on his wrists from being chained up. 

When Estinien was finished, he picked up Aymeric’s robe from the bed and draped it over him. 

“You’re a damned fool for thinking you could change his mind,” he said. 

“I know.”

“That’s what makes you a good man.” His voice grew softer. “I’m certain yours shall be the hand that guides us to peace, Aymeric.” 

Aymeric reached out to touch the side of his face, palm cupping Estinien’s cheek. “‘Tis difficult to imagine what will become of us after the war.”

Estinien laughed low and quiet. “A peaceful Ishgard has no use for a man such as me.” He cleared his throat and said, a little louder, “You should sleep.” 

“I’m afraid to,” Aymeric admitted. He patted the bed beside him. “Would you stay and hold me?” 

Estinien hesitated. “I said I’d take care of you, not warm your bed.” 

“Please, Estinien, just for a while.” 

Estinien frowned, but he put out the lights and climbed in beside him. They lay next to one another in the dark for several minutes before Aymeric felt a hand brush over his stomach. 

Tentatively and without saying a word, Estinien wrapped an arm around Aymeric and pulled him close, lining their bodies up and burying his face in Aymeric’s shoulder. With his back flush to Estinien’s chest, Aymeric could feel his unsteady breathing and the hammering of his heart. He leaned into the touch with a small sigh. 

Estinien pressed his lips to the nape of Aymeric’s neck. “I was so worried about you,” he murmured.

Aymeric closed his eyes. His body ached with injury and exhaustion, but still he could not sleep. He rolled over so he came face to face with Estinien and covered Estinien’s mouth with his own. 

“Mmph.” The other man made a small noise of protest before parting his lips and allowing Aymeric’s tongue to slip inside. “Is this what you meant?” he asked as they broke away, his hands moving to Aymeric’s waist. “By holding you.”

“If you are willing,” Aymeric said. 

“Lie back.” He did as he was told, and Estinien pushed aside his robe and slid a hand between his legs. Aymeric shifted, feeling a heat burn through him that had been building since the bath. 

Estinien kissed him again, slow and warm, and curled his fingers around Aymeric’s thickening cock. His gaze was dark and it lingered on Aymeric’s face, watching him intently as he began to move. 

“Is this good?” Estinien asked. 

Aymeric shuddered, arching upward, his fists tightening in the bedding. 

“Fury, yes,” he gasped. Estinien’s mouth fell open slightly and the color rose high in his cheeks.

Neither of them spoke much of this aspect of their relationship. It first happened during their time as knights together, sharing a tent and in close proximity, and on several more occasions after that. Aymeric knew Estinien had little care for romance or even casual affairs, but somehow they still tumbled into bed together every so often. 

It’d been at least a couple years since they had each other last, back when they were still on the front lines together. They’d scarce gotten a moment alone together since Estinien returned to Ishgard. 

For now, he fell into the sensation of Estinien working his cock in quick, rough strokes, breath warm on Aymeric’s neck. When Aymeric felt his body begin to build toward its climax, he found himself unable to thrust into Estinien’s hand without straining his injuries. He collapsed back onto the bed with a hiss of pain. 

Estinien only faltered for a moment before shoving the blankets aside. Aymeric shivered, the cold prickling goosebumps over his bare skin.

“Don’t move,” said Estinien. He went to his knees between Aymeric’s legs like a man in prayer, placing an arm along the length of Aymeric’s thigh and waist to hold him down. 

When he leaned forward, his lips brushed the head of Aymeric’s cock, smearing the pearl of liquid that had beaded there. Aymeric groaned when his tongue darted out to lick his lips clean. Estinien’s other hand came up to rest on Aymeric’s hip, where his thumb rubbed small circles into his skin. 

He dragged his tongue up the shaft before guiding the tip into his mouth. Unable to do anything else, Aymeric reached down to grab a fistful of Estinien’s hair, stiffening at the scrape of his teeth. Estinien hollowed his cheeks, taking Aymeric all the way to the back of his throat in one smooth motion. He eased off just enough to swirl his tongue about the head before swallowing Aymeric’s cock once more. 

As Estinien continued his ministrations Aymeric’s moans became harder to stifle, so he covered his mouth with his forearm to keep quiet, wary of how the stone walls of the captain’s quarters tended to echo. When he felt his body begin to tense, he pawed clumsily at the side of Estinien’s head.

“Wait-- I’m going to come--” 

Estinien drew back, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not cleaning you off again,” he said, voice ragged, and he sealed his mouth around Aymeric’s cock. 

Aymeric felt his sense of the room waver as he came, gasping, into Estinien’s mouth. Estinien’s throat worked, lips still stretched tight around his length, and that sent another shudder through him. 

When he was finished, Estinien crawled up beside him and pulled the blankets over them both. Aymeric groped around for him. 

“Do you want me to…?” 

“Halone’s sake, Aymeric, I’ll take care of myself.” He swatted Aymeric’s hand away. Aymeric was a bit stung, but also privately relieved, for he was feeling rather worn out. “How are your injuries?”

“Not as bad as earlier.” 

Estinien gave what Aymeric took to be an affirmative grunt and wrapped his arms around him once again. 

“What you said earlier about Ishgard not needing you…” Aymeric said. “‘Tis untrue, for I shall need you.”

“To bathe you?” Estinien asked wryly. 

“Among other things,” said Aymeric before he closed his eyes at last, smiling to himself in the darkness.


End file.
